


The Makings of a Mate

by fortheverses



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Boys In Love, Gratsu - Freeform, Gray never asks for help, Hurt Gray Fullbuster, Hurt/Comfort, Hurts So Good, M/M, Mates, Natray - Freeform, Natsu knows enough, Protective Natsu Dragneel, Sick Gray Fullbuster, Slayers, They both have their pride, They're both so stubborn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:54:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23846311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fortheverses/pseuds/fortheverses
Summary: Gray is going down hard and Natsu doesn't know how but he is going to be there for him.
Relationships: Natsu Dragneel & Gray Fullbuster, Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster
Comments: 5
Kudos: 64





	The Makings of a Mate

It could be seen as a good thing or a bad thing depending on one’s own judgement. To Natsu, it was one of the most terrifying moments of his life and yet something he was forever grateful for.  
  
It happened in the wee hours of the morning, when even the sun hadn’t fully risen yet. Natsu hadn’t been able to sleep for most of the night and with dawn about to break soon, he didn’t see the point in trying anymore. Besides, it had been like…six hours, since his last meal. Way too long in the humble opinion of Natsu’s stomach.   
  
What many people did not know about the fire dragon slayer was that he loved to cook. Mirajane had once been delighted to discover his hobby and had even tried to steer him towards the guild’s kitchen duties before realizing that Natsu had a very different definition of cooking than most.  
  
Natsu delighted in the thrill of the art - combining the most number of random things into one giant mastermix that he then proceeded to set ablaze in his hands till it all looked a rich dark brown with the edges just about burnt. Then the mastermix was ingested in one go because seasoning was overrated anyway. As far as Natsu was concerned, there were few better cooks in the world than his own humble self.  
  
Mira consoled herself with the knowledge that the dragon slayer’s cooking had helped his stomach grow immune to the many magics that he also often ate up to gain strength. She did however vow to never deny Natsu a meal and Natsu did sadly lose his job in the guild kitchen after a tenure of less than 20 minutes.  
  
But there was no Mira around this morning to witness the 8-layered dripping delicacy held ablaze in Natsu’s right hand as the dragon slayer let down his usual sensory filters to be able to fully inhale the rich aroma wafting off his masterpiece. With a smile, Natsu went on to take a deep deep inhale and that’s when he detected it – the smell that settled like a pit in his stomach and sent his heartbeat into a wild panic. The smell of his mate’s fresh blood.  
  
 _Gray._  
  
His inner dragon let out an enraged roar that escaped Natsu’s lips as a vicious growl as he took off towards the smell of Gray’s blood, all other thoughts forgotten as instincts took over. Natsu’s senses were going into overdrive as he followed his nose out of town, the smell getting stronger with each step. He could feel the overbearing fear for the safety of his mate synchronize all his senses to the erratic pounding of his heart.  
  
 _Gray. Gray. Gray._  
  
Natsu and Happy’s house was on the outskirts of town so it didn’t take him long to leave Magnolia behind but he could tell that Gray was still a ways off. He could also tell that there was more blood lost than there should have been. And that it hadn’t stopped spilling yet.  
  
Natsu didn’t know how long it took him to reach Gray but the first sight of him sent the dragon slayer’s heart beating even faster. His inner dragon roared in pain. Gray was falling.  
  
With a wild burst of speed Natsu broke Gray’s backward fall with his body, unable to keep from jostling the ice mage. Gray let out a weak grunt but showed no signs of even recognizing that his body had not hit the ground. His barely open eyes were completely unfocussed as Natsu settled his bleeding torso into his lap and took his face into the crook of his right arm.   
  
Despite his jerky movements, Natsu’s voice came out tender as he tried to keep the ice mage from losing consciousness.   
  
“Stay with me, Gray. Hey! Keep your eyes open idiot, look at me. Gray!”  
  
Gray’s eyes closed and he didn’t stir even as Natsu jerkily patted his cheek. Streaks of dried blood marred the left side of Gray’s ashen face but the head wound had already ceased to bleed. His right shoulder was still bleeding from a deep, wide gash but it was a smaller looking wound in his abdomen that still bled the most. Natsu reached for Gray’s back under the cut, confirming his suspicions – sword wound, through the body and out the back. An image flashed before Natsu’s eyes, of Gray’s body lifted clear off the ground by a sword running straight through his abdomen.   
  
_They must’ve left him behind to die.  
  
_ His inner dragon roared even as he gnashed his teeth together to hold back a scream. He wanted to burn the world that had hurt his mate.  
  
But Natsu fought to get his shuddering body under control. Right now, he needed to save Gray.  
  
With heaving breaths, Natsu put two fingers at the tip of the sword wound, heating them up till Gray’s flesh bubbled around them, and running them across the cut, effectively cauterizing the entry wound. He then started to do the same to the exit wound in the back but this time Gray let out a scream of pain.   
  
“Gray! Hey, look at me.”   
  
Gray’s eyes opened to slits as he gasped through short, laboured breaths.  
  
“Don’t go losing so much blood all by yourself, you idiot! I’m gonna take you to Wendy now, you’re going to be okay.”  
  
It took Gray a minute to follow the sound of Natsu’s voice to his face. But he couldn’t quite seem to hold the other man’s gaze.  
  
“N…tsu?”   
  
If Natsu weren’t a dragon slayer, he wouldn’t have heard it.  
  
“Yeah. It’s me.”   
  
Gray’s fingers clutched weakly at Natsu’s thighs, curling around the fabric of his pants and Natsu quickly took the weak hand in his own and brought it up to his lips.  
  
“You gonna stay with me now, ice princess? I need you to stay awake, you got bonked pretty hard on the head.”  
  
Gray let out a weak laugh that sounded too wet to Natsu. Like there was blood collecting at the back of his throat.   
  
“S-sti…sma-ter…than y…fyamebai…”  
  
Natsu chuckled as he blinked back tears and placed another kiss to Gray’s hand.  
  
 _He’s going to be okay.  
_  
“We’ll have to ask Wendy to do something about that smart mouth of yours now, won’t we? I’m gonna lift you now, okay? Here, put your arm around my – “  
  
Natsu stopped abruptly as Gray’s previously limp hand suddenly tightened its grip in his and his eyes opened wide, panicked, staring right at Natsu. All at once Gray’s body jerked forward as he tried to sit up.  
  
“Hey idiot! Gray, calm down, you’ll reopen your - ”  
  
Natsu broke off mid-sentence. Gray’s eyes were wild and he seemed to be struggling to speak.  
  
“Ly…on”  
  
“Lyon? What about him?”  
  
“Ice…nfan…iza…spell – “   
  
Gray broke into a wet cough followed instantly by blood spilling out of his mouth. His eyes were closing again as his body went completely limp in Natsu’s arms.  
  
Natsu picked him up without a second’s hesitation and broke into a run towards Magnolia.  
  
Gray didn’t open his eyes again. He only spoke once more before falling into the darkness.  
  
“Na-su…danger.”

**Author's Note:**

> First time writing for Fairy Tail. Hello fandom!
> 
> Would love to hear back from any readers. Was any of it any good for anyone?
> 
> Would also love recommendations on good Gratsu hurt stories. I'm a sucker for character depth and non-OC fluff. A grumpy sick boi Gray/hurt boi Gray warms the heart!
> 
> Anyway, please review if you can spare the time. Thank you for reading!
> 
> Max


End file.
